Kitty Travel Checklist

Ok, I'm always paranoid I'm going to forget something, and a cross-country trip is never more fun than when traveling with 2 cats.

So here's what I have - am I missing anything?

We're driving 16 hours straight to Ohio, and will then be in a hotel...

- 1 disposable litterbox for the hotel room
- 2 pet crates, with disposable absorbent liner (I used to put tiny litterboxes in with them, but they'd just sit in them which seemed to defeat the purpose)
- 1 small bag pet food (I will probably restrict food so the cats don't make a mess in the first hour, making themselves and everybody in the car miserable, but I like to have it in case the car breaks down or something else happens)
- 4 small cups for food/water breaks
- 1 hotel reservation at a pet-friendly hotel (no extra charge, just a deposit!)
- 1 new litter scooper for the hotel
- 1 "My cat is in this room, DO NOT OPEN THIS DOOR" sign written in 10 languages for when we leave the hotel and have to leave the cats inside (ok, I don't have this... but it sounds like a really good idea, no? Might be worth creating )

Am I missing something? I used to put toys in their carrier but they never seemed to like it, and actually looked kind of put out if it were something like a ball that rolled into them.

I also have a harness/leash but I have NEVER had any luck getting a cat to use the restroom at a rest stop on a leash. So my philosophy has changed to "just get there as fast as you can"

I have traveled with cats a fair bit, but I ALWAYS forget something, hence this post.

Yes - BOTTLED water or bring water from your house. We always fill 1-2 bottles of water from home for Charlie for shows (and another 1-2 for ourselves). Sudden water changes will make some cats sick real fast

Also you mentioned 16 hrs straight driving - I do hope you will stop for lunch/dinner, etc. When you do, then let the cats out of the carriers in the car so they can stretch a bit while you are eating

I just got back from a 2 day drive, each way with Riley and he did great. One thing we did was get a small disposable foil baking pan to use as a temp litter pan. About halfway thru the day when we stopped to eat, I put it in the floorboard on a large trash bag with a little but of litter to let him use it.

Even though he didn't have breakfast he still needed to use it. After that I would give him a drink of water and a few pieces of dry food to crunch on. I also used to trash bag to put under the litter box at the hotel so he didn't fling litter all in the carpet there.

He slept most of the drive, but was glad to run around in the hotel room when we stopped. I was too paranoid to leave him alone in the room though, so I took him with me to dinner, etc. He did better waiting in his carrier in the car for 20 minutes than he would have in a strange hotel by himself. Maybe you could lock them in the bathroom with food, litter, while you're out?

sapling -- do your cats actually "hold it" for 12 hours without access to a litterbox?